In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,563, the disclosures of which are included herein by reference, I described an apparatus for the silver-solder butt splicing of carrier strip and particularly of connector strip, which comprises a narrow copper-based ribbon to which are attached a large plurality of projecting electrical connector elements. This apparatus is capable of making a splice between two rolls of connector strip rapidly enough to avoid stopping production in the operation that uses the connectors or processes the strip, as by plating. All that is required is an accumulator for strip downstream of the splicer, but the insertion of the tape ends into the splicing apparatus is manual. If the operator fails to note that the strip has run out and to complete the splice before the accumulator is exhausted manufacturing will be interrupted.